The Kansas Oil and Gas Museum has teamed up with USD 428 to offer classes to 4th and 6th graders through a grant it received last November from the Golden Belt Community Foundation for the 2017 and 2018 school year.

The opening of teal season on Saturday, Sept. 9, could draw hundreds of hunters to the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area. Last year, over 600 people came for the opening day, according to Jason Wagner, the new wildlife area manager at the state-owned portion of the Barton County marsh. Some 11,000 hunters were there during the season that runs from September to March, he added.

LARNED – Experience the excitement of a working frontier fort as Fort Larned National Historic Site hosts Labor Day Weekend activities Saturday through Monday. Living history demonstrations and activities will be held all three days of the event from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

The Barton County Clerk's Office has announced the list of local candidates running in the Nov. 7 general election. On the ballot are a number of city, school and other local positions in Barton county, County Clerk Donna Zimmerman said.

On the agenda for the Great Bend City Council meeting Tuesday night is the vacancy created by the Aug. 15 resignation of Second Ward Councilman Wayne Henneke in the wake of the ongoing controversy engulfing the city and suspended Police Chief Cliff Couch. Also on the to-do list is the election of a new council president since Henneke had served in that capacity.

Chris Klima, Great Bend, operates a small, rescue based shelter called Chasing Tails Rescue. Her network put out the plea to pull dogs from shelters around the Houston area earlier this week. She has since been organizing a transport that will be part of a caravan with a Wichta based rescue, Beauties and the Beasts, leaving Kansas on Friday.

Each week we'll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We'll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what "the rest of the story" turned out to be.

HOISINGTON -- For the last 32-and-a-half years, Paul Zecha, Hoisington's Public Works supervisor, has been serving the citizens of Hoisington, helping to keep the infrastructure of the city in good condition so things like turning on water, driving down the street, and turning on the lights could simply be taken for granted. This week, Zecha will retire, and Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell took time to thank him at the Monday night council meeting.

According to Gaila Demel, Executive Director of United Way of Central Kansas, her office has received emails and phone calls inquiring about local procedures, if any, for donations to the relief efforts due to Hurricane Harvey.

Even though the rest of the Kansas legislature may be taking a break, Sen. Mary Jo Taylor has been busy since the end of the protracted session on June 26. The soon-to-be former Stafford USD 249 superintendent still has two weeks to go before her replacement takes over, and she can officially retire from her school career. Still, that didn't keep the Stafford Republican from attending the Great Bend Rotary Club meeting Monday where she shared insights gleaned from her freshman year as a state Senator.

On any given Summer weekend, Kansas is ripe with opportunities to get your fix of top-notch examples of classic cars like Ford Model Ts, Plymouth Belvederes, Dodge Chargers, Thunderbirds, and Pontiac GTOs, Bonnevilles and more. And while the cars themselves are testaments to the tender loving care of their owners, each car comes with its own unique story. Saturday morning, Great Bend was the place, featuring Barton County Historical Society's annual Rolling Sculpture car show. Al Denning was on hand to share the story of his Ford UK Anglia with enthusiasts.